NOTICE is hereby given that on August 21, 2020, applicant: Sierra Vista – Los Lunas LLC & Mesa Verde Farms LLC, both in c/o Mike Mechenbier, 3211 Highway 47, Los Lunas, NM 87031, filed Application No. [(RG-82157, RG-10260 POD3 and RG-93792 POD1)) into RG-98687]-T with the STATE ENGINEER for Permit to Change Purpose and Place of Use and Point of Diversion of Groundwater within the Rio Grande Underground Water Basin of the State of New Mexico.
The applicants propose to temporarily lease groundwater rights for a period of nine (9) years under the Water-Use Leasing NMSA 1978, §§
72-6-1 to -7 by temporarily discontinuing the diversion from October 1, 2019 to October 1, 2028, of a total farm delivery requirement (FDR) of 19.36 acre-feet per annum (AFA) inclusive of Consumptive Irrigation Requirement (CIR) of 13.55 AFA, from three (3) points of diversion described as, well RG-82157 POD1 located at a point where X=1,477,530 feet and Y=1,305,550 feet; well
RG-10260 POD3 located at a point where X=1,479,600 feet and Y=1,320,580 feet; and well RG-93792 POD1 located at a point where X=1,474,582 feet and Y=1,294,919 feet, New Mexico State Plane Coordinate (NMSPC), NAD83, Central Zone, for irrigation purposes, on 765.8108 acres of move-from lands owned by Sierra Vista – Los Lunas LLC, previously noticed by the State Engineer as being described on the Survey Plat Titled “Boundary Survey of the Lands of Les Gibson”, file in the Office of the County Clerk of Valencia County, New Mexico, on January 12, 1999, in Cabinet J, Page 253, consisting of 20.4669 Acres. The move-from lands and wells are located on lands owned by Mesa Verde Farms, LLC, and generally located west of Interstate 25 and east of the Belen High Line Canal within Middle Rio Grande Conservative District (MRGCD) Maps 104, 105, 108, 109, 112 ,113, 114, and
118. The north boundary is adjacent to Interstate 25 Exit 190, near Mile Marker 190, and the south boundary is approximately 6 miles south of Exit 190 near Mile Marker 196, Valencia County, New Mexico.
The applicant further propose to temporarily transfer the CIR of 13.55 AFA, to well, RG-98687 drilled under Permit No. RG-98162-Explore, renumbered RG-98687, on land owned by Sierra Vista – Los Lunas, LLC, to a depth of 525-feet below ground surface, completed with a 7-inch outer diameter casing, located at latitude = 34°49’4.5″ North, and longitude = 106°47’50.4″ West, WGS84, for construction purposes on 260 acres of land, described as Tracts A, B, C, D, E, F, and G within the Sierra Vista Subdivision, located in Projected Section 23 and 24, Township 7 North, Range 1 East, NMPM, San Clemente Grant, Valencia County, New Mexico. The move-to lands are owned by Sierra Vista Los Lunas LLC and generally located 2.0 miles west of Interstate 25 and bound on the north by State Highway 6.
The temporary lease is per a lease agreement between Mesa Verde Farms, LLC, and Sierra Vista – Los Lunas, LLC dated September 18, 2019. No new appropriation of water is sought by this application.
Any person, firm or corporation or other entity asserting standing to file objections or protests shall do so in writing (objection must be legible, signed, and include the writer’s complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address). If the protest does not include the complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address, it may be deemed invalid and not accepted for filing unless Protestant provides with the protest an affidavit stating that it does not have one of the above-listed elements/requirements (phone number, mailing address, email address, etc.). The objection to the approval of the application must be based on: (1) Impairment; if impairment, you must specifically identify your water rights; and/or (2) Public Welfare/Conservation of Water; if public welfare or conservation of water within the state of New Mexico, you shall be required to provide evidence showing how you will be substantially and specifically affected. The written protest must be filed, in triplicate, with the State Engineer, 5550 San Antonio Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109-4127, on or before Monday, January 4, 2021. Facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted as a valid protest if the hard copy is hand-delivered or mailed and postmarked within 24- hours of the facsimile. Mailing postmark will be used to validate the 24-hour period. Protests can be faxed to the Office of the State Engineer, Insert District fax number here. If no valid protest or objection is filed, the State Engineer will evaluate the application in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 72 NMSA 1978.
Published in the Valencia County News-Bulletin on
November 5, 12, & 19, 2020.
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 18, 2024
